विसाखपट्नम Visakhapatnam (VSKP): Activists of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) plan to stage a maha dharna in front of the Waltair divisional railway manager’s (DRM) office on February 24 demanding a separate railway zone with headquarters at Vizag.

District YSRCP president Gudiwada Amarnath alleged that the ruling TDP government in the state and the BJP government at the Centre have failed to fulfill the longstanding demand of the people of north Andhra for a separate railway zone.

Pointing out that the Waltair division, with annual revenue of around Rs.6,000 crore, is one of the highest revenue earners among all railway divisions in the country, he said a separate railway zone will not only pave the way for the development of north Andhra districts but also both the Godavari districts and will create jobs for the unemployed youth of the region.

Speaking to mediapersons at the party office at Jagadamba Junction here on Saturday, Amarnath said that as per the AP Reorganisation Act, the Centre should have sanctioned a separate railway zone for AP but it has done nothing even nine months after coming to power.

“Both the TDP and BJP governments have been cheating the people. The TDP and BJP MPs such as K Hari Babu, Kothapalli Geetha, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, K Rammohan and Avanthi Srinivas are not putting forth the issue forcefully enough before the central government at a time when it is preparing the railway and Union budgets,” he alleged.

He also accused Vijayawada and Guntur MPs of conspiring to get the new zone for their region.

Former MLA Tynala Vijayakumar said the Waltair division has 750 acres land, which is sufficient for a separate zone. Former MLAs T Gurumurthy Reddy, Karanam Dharmasri, Karri Seetaram were present at the meet.